When Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes man healthy, wealthy, and wise" he was NOT speaking to me! I wish I was the bright eyed bushy tailed "go getter" in the morning as soon as I woke in the predawn hours but no matter how hard I try to make this my routine, I end up feeling depleted by 2pm. This could be because as a Mom with a full life the time when everyone is asleep at night is often sacred for me to either enjoy a self care ritual, get some work done or prepare for the next day! And true to Ayurveda, after 10pm I often get a "second wind" which has me usually up till Midnight.
Morning is however a sacred malleable time when we move from our unconscious mind to our conscious mind which can set the vibration for your whole day.
Here are a few things I habitually do for a foundation of happiness and showing up as my highest self.
1.) IT STARTS THE NIGHT BEFORE
A. Because life sometimes happens, the alarm doesn't go off, the clothes you wanted are dirty, or your having a challenging hair day, I try to set myself and the family up for success the night before. This means kids picking clothes and laying them out, packing any after school sports bags, making lunches so they are at the ready in the fridge, and filling water bottles! If the morning has unplanned drama you are still able to grab good food choices and have enough hydration which is KEY.
B. The vibration (mood) you go to bed with will often carry into the morning. So I try to either do a meditation, journal write with "scripting" how I want my days to be as if those desires have already come to fruition AND (this is key) giving gratitude for having this. I write in the present tense "as if" this is reality for me because the unconscious mind (UM) cannot tell the difference between past, present, and future. I may spend a few moments as I drift off to sleep thinking about everything I am grateful for (even things I am manifesting) and mindfully choosing how I want to FEEL after waking from a restful slumber.
C. If you are, like I was, the type that has a hard time falling asleep at night I highly recommend a guided meditation ( see my blog on meditation) OR set your phone timer to play some Brain wave music that will get your brain in a Theta or Delta state conducive to sleep. This will have you dreaming in no time and can be used if for some reason you wake up during the night. This is gold when it comes to feeling rested in the morning.
2.) UPON WAKING
Whether you wake up with the sun or from some sort of alarm, these first few moments are KEY. Again, this is when your mind, body, and soul are most malleable and you are able to connect your unconscious mind with your conscious mind (CM). Building this rapport between both your UM and CM will allow your UM to steer towards the directions, orders, and desires of your CM! Take just 1-5 minutes as you become conscious to:
a. Find at least 3 gratitude statements. These can be simple, complex, they can vary, or be similar from day to day. Just start with gratitude for the things you DO appreciate and this will automatically shift your vibration no matter how "grumpy" or anxious you might initially feel. My daughter keeps a journal by her bed and this is the first thing she reaches for after the alarm goes off. It has been nothing short of miraculous in shaping how our mornings go.
b. Connect with your Inner Guide (Universe, source, God,). Build this relationship as you would with someone you are courting. Ask the good questions like, "How do I want to show up today?", "How shall I serve myself and others today?" "How might you guide me today in feeling how I desire to feel?"
This last one is a reminder that you are being divinely guided through this journey and need NOT ONLY rely on yourself or your own strength. Hopefully this provides a supportive peaceful foundation for your day.
c. Meditate for at least 1-5 minutes. Nope, not saying you need to spend 2 hours or even 20 minutes meditating in the morning. #Goals But shifting your energy with even 1 minute of meditation, or focus on breath will do amazing things! For tips on finding short meditations you can use apps like insight timer, calm, headspace, or even YouTube is a great resource AND you can access the meditations on my website.
3.) RE-HYDRATE ideally with tepid lemon water
This is super effective in the morning and important after several hours of your body loosing water through breath and sweat. Before eating, coffee, or tea drink 8-24oz. of room temperature water with the juice of 1/2-1 lemon. You can also add apple cider vinegar and even a small amount of wild-local honey. This will aid not only in decreasing the effects of dehydration, but will boost metabolism, give you a feeling of satiation, and help get your bowels moving without stimulants. This is also a natural immunity booster with the Vitamin C
from the lemons and alkalinity that results from lemons and ACV. Consistency in this practice (when combined with local wild honey) will also aid in decreasing histamine response during seasonal allergy time. Lastly, this act of re-hydration helps your lymphatic system function and decrease brain fog!
4.) MOVE YOUR BODY
This might be the hardest sometimes to prioritize when you are trying to get yourself and your family out the door but if you can carve out even 20 minutes for some vigorous movement and sweat you will create a many amazing things to keep you in the vibration of bliss. A few of these include: The endorphins produced will help secrete good feeling
chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. The energy system in your body which begins
with your central 7 Chakras will flow creating less blockage in your energy meridians aiding in pain and disease management. Any residual toxins will be released (sweat is adipose tissue crying). You create something called after burn while your cells replenish from the oxygen depletion this will keep you burning calories for several hours! I rotate between yoga, HIIT, steady aerobic exercise like biking or running, and rest.
If you are not able to fit this in the morning routine, try to prioritize this at some point in the day as a non-negotiable self care action.
There you have it, my top four rituals that set me up for daily success. Making things like salads in to go containers, cut up fruit and veggies to grab, or grabbing a veggie pod to go keep me on track nourishing and respecting myself throughout the day with sustainable energy. My filled water bottles keep me hydrated, and my mindful minutes as I come into consciousness transform me from Grump to having and attitude of gratitude allowing me to easily show up as my highest self which permeates to everyone I come into contact with and provides a impermeable shield for those who may show up as their not so highest self. Getting a workout in the morning gives me a sense of accomplishment and peace in knowing I can handle anything (especially all the miracles) throughout the day!
I hope this is helpful and for more information on cultivating a life filled with more JOY, living as the best version of you, and the intended happiness you are to receive, contact me anytime for a free consultation.
Sending you love and light
Jessica